New Zealand falcon, kārearea, spotted in Napier front garden

There are estimated to be fewer than 8000 kārearea nationwide.

A sighting of a native falcon catching and tearing its prey apart would be rare in the bush, but to have it unfold on your urban front lawn is completely unexpected.

A Napier South family were in their front garden recently when the adult kārearea swooped on a pigeon, swiftly killed it and then sat on their letterbox enjoying its brunch.

"We often see the usual suspects - tui, kereru, fantails and bellbirds - but this was a first," says Vigor Brown St resident Neill Gordon.

"We thought it was bound to be a harrier hawk because they're much more common, but I logged the sighting on the NZ Falcon website and they identified it as an adult male kārearea.

"What the experts have told us is that if you do see a falcon in town, it's normally a juvenile that's been kicked out of adult forest territories. An adult falcon in the city is a real rarity, apparently."

There are estimated to be fewer than 8000 kārearea nationwide. The highest known density of the species is found in Kaingaroa pine forest in the central North Island.

In July, a karearea was seen chasing and killing a pigeon in the Hastings CBD.

At the time, Havelock North ecologist Dr John McLennan, who has a QSM for services to kiwi, said the endemic falcon often left breeding grounds to come into urban areas to feed on pigeons. They were often junior falcons who sometimes struggled to capture food.

According to DoC, the falcon population was on the rise in the region.

Recently, plantation pine forests have been found to be important breeding habitats for falcons. In Hawke's Bay there have been 91 falcon sightings in pine forest reported by Pan Pac staff between March 2019 and December 2021.

One of 38 species of falcon worldwide, the New Zealand falcon is endemic to this country.

The falcon has a wide distribution, found on the North and South islands, and several offshore islands, including Stewart Island and the subantarctic Auckland Islands.

According to DoC, there are three ecological forms of the falcon.

The small, dark bush falcons live in forests. They are found in the North Island, mainly south of Hamilton; and northwest South Island as far south as Greymouth.

Large, paler eastern falcons live in open, drier habitats east of the Southern Alps but extend from coast to coast in central South Island.

Southern falcons are intermediate in size and colouration and live in Fiordland, Stewart Island and the Auckland Islands.

Adult New Zealand falcons measure 40-50cm. Males are smaller than females. Males weigh 240-350g, while females are 410-720g.

The New Zealand falcon is capable of flying at speeds over 100km/h and can catch prey larger than itself.

They hunt live prey, mainly by watching from a vantage point and making a fast, direct flying attack and either striking or grasping the prey with their feet, which are equipped with sharp talons. They kill their prey with a quick, powerful bite to the neck.